Scones and Coffee
by HeartSong88
Summary: One-shot of Frank Hardy on Valentine's Day. Set sometime after Deadly Device and based off of one of the bonus footages. It won't make sense unless you have seen it. (It's on youtube- just watch it really quick.) Really just a quickie that I wrote in one sitting.


The mug is warm against my hands. It had been a cold winter, and although it was February the sun was still it's distant cold self. I look down into the inky blackness of my coffee, I had told Roberto to make it as dark as he could. I have yet to taste it yet, I didn't drive all this way for the coffee.

The little bell attached to the front door jingles. I look up automatically, checking out the latest date-less Valentine sucker. It's a young woman in her 20's with vibrant titian colored hair and the bluebell colored eyes. Her figure is slender, and familiar. Just the person I wasn't sure if I wanted to see.

"Frank!" She waves and walks over.

In a split second decision I take a large sip of my coffee, realizing that it was the wrong choice when half of the taste buds on my tongue are burned off. I wince. "Hey Nancy."

"What are you doing here? Where's Joe?" She looks around cafe searching for my obnoxious little brother.

_Funny you should mention Joe, he's the reason I'm not at home sulking from the comforts of my bed. _

"He and Vanessa are on a date." Wait. What was Nancy doing here? This was the hotspot for hopelessly single saps like myself, not for a vivacious young woman who had been in a relationship with the same guy for as long I could remember. "Why are you here?"

She smiles ruefully, one corner of her mouth lifts higher than the other. "Ned's actually sick. So I'd thought I'd pick up a couple of the scones he likes and some coffee to take to him."

"Right." An awkward silence fills up the space between us. _Just tell her you idiot._ My mouth opens, the words are in my mind. She is standing right there. I could just let it all out, right now. Right here.

But, I can't. Ned's a nice guy. He and Nancy are great together, they've lasted this long after all. My mouth closes without a sound.

"Nancy Drew?" a voice over from the front counter announces.

"That's me." She puts a hand on my shoulder. "I'll see you later?"

"Yeah."

My eyes close in defeat, and I listen to her soft steady footsteps. A part of me wishes I had done it. Just told her. Like I did on the phone during the Deadly Device case, when I thought it might be my last chance. Too bad she didn't hear it.

Too bad I'm such a coward. Joe would've done it. Then again, Joe's idea of fun included a lot of risk and very high places.

My coffee is tasteless against my burned tongue, and I guzzle it down in one swig. There really was no point in driving all the way down here. I could've gotten coffee back in Bayport. As I zip my jacket I can't help but feel remorseful. I had told her. I had actually said the words out loud. And she didn't hear them. Maybe it was fate...

Snowflakes fall from the sky lightly, dusting the ground and along with it, the road. I hope it doesn't get worse. The only thing worse than being a victim of unrequited love was being a victim of unrequited love in a snowstorm.

I sit in my car. The leather seat behind me is cold, and I have to force myself to stay sitting. I turn the car on and bump the heat up to the top notch. The heater wheezes out the hot air, and I just sit there.

I can almost see them now. Eating scones and drinking coffee in Ned's dorm. Sitting on the bed, trying to make as few crumbs as possible. Laughing. Debating which movie to put on his laptop.

Suddenly, I wish I were in his place. Even having a cold would be worth being with her. But, it isn't possible so, why even think that way?

I drive home feeling depressed. Luckily, the snow disappears along the town boundary. I'm on the freeway, about halfway there when my phone starts ringing. I answer, pushing the button on my steering wheel.

"Soooo did you tell her?" Joe's voice booms over the speakers. His excitement is palpable, and I'm almost sorry when I have to tell him no. "Why not? You've already done it once!"

"But that once was fried up by a secret room underneath a Tesla coil."

"So that was a practice round. This time you can do it better, and more coherently."

"Or I can leave Nancy and Ned and their scones at peace and come home."

"Scones?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Well, are you going to tell Nancy or not?"

I don't answer.

"Please tell me you are not on your way home right now." His voice sounds desperate, and I can hear a girl's voice in the background.

"You're still on your date!" I exclaim, happy to have something to change the subject.

"Yes... Vanessa understands. I just want to make sure you don't wimp out on this."

"Too late. I did now go back to your date." Before he can dive into some well-meaning lecture about my pathetic love life, I hang up.

Immediately my phone starts ringing again. I ignore it. If Nancy and I were meant to be together, fate would help out. But it hasn't. So it's not. And I keep on driving.


End file.
